Four Lethal Diesel Engine Oil

Contaminants
Some contaminants are important to monitor and
analyze because they are root causes of premature oil
degradation and engine failure. Other contaminants are
symptomatic of an active failure condition that requires
a response other than just an oil change. For instance,
seal damage leading to fuel dilution or glycol
contamination cannot be remedied by performing an oil
change or switching to a better quality lubricant. Such
symptom-based contaminants are also root causes that
enable new failures to occur. The value of oil analysis in
detecting problems early goes without saying.

Any one of the contaminants described below is capable

of causing premature or even sudden engine failure. I've
left dirt contamination off the list because I covered
particle-induced engine failures in a previous column. It
is worth noting that problems are more pronounced when
contamination combos exist, such as high soot load with
glycol or high soot load with fuel dilution. There are
numerous failure pathways and consequential sequence
of events. Thousands of diesel engines fail prematurely
each year aided by the presences of glycol, fuel, soot and
water in the engine oil.
Glycol
Glycol enters diesel engine motor oils as a result of defective seals, blown head gaskets,
cracked cylinder heads, corrosion damage and cavitation. One study found glycol in 8.6
percent of 100,000 diesel engine samples tested. A separate study of 11,000 long-haul
trucks found severe levels of glycol in 1.5 percent of samples and minor amounts of glycol
in 16 percent of samples. The following are some of the risks associated with glycol
contamination:

 Just 0.4 percent coolant containing glycol in diesel engine oil is enough to coagulate
soot and cause a dump-out condition leading to sludge, deposits, oil flow restrictions
and filter blockage.
 According to one study, glycol contamination results in wear rates 10 times greater
than water contamination alone.
 Glycol reacts with oil additives causing precipitation. For instance, an important
antiwear additive in motor oils, zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP), will form
reaction products and plug filters when oil is contaminated with glycol. This leads to
loss of antiwear and antioxidant performance as well.
 Glycol has led to cold seizure of engines.
 Ethylene glycol oxidizes into corrosive acids, including the following: glycolic acid,
oxalic acid, formic acid and carbonic acid. These acids cause a rapid drop in the oil's
alkalinity (base number), resulting in an unprotected corrosive environment and
base oil oxidation.
 Oil balls (abrasive spherical contaminants) form from the reaction of calcium
sulfonate detergent additives (found in nearly all motor oils) and glycol
contamination. These balls are a known cause of damage to crankcase bearings and
other frictional surfaces within an engine.
 Glycol contamination substantially increases oil viscosity which impairs lubrication
and oil cooling.
Fuel Dilution
Frequent starts of an engine, excessive idling and cold
running conditions can lead to moderate fuel dilution
problems. Severe dilution (excess of two percent) is
associated with leakage, fuel injector problems and
impaired combustion efficiency. These are symptomatic
of serious conditions that cannot be corrected by an oil
change. According to one reference, 0.36 percent of total
fuel consumption ends up in the crankcase. Problems
associated with fuel dilution include:

 Diesel fuel dilution in cold operating conditions can

cause waxing. During startup, this can result in low
oil pressure and starvation conditions.
 Diesel fuel carries unsaturated aromatic molecules
into the motor oil which are pro-oxidants. This can
result in a premature loss of base number (loss of
corrosion protection) and oxidative thickening of the
motor oil, causing deposits and mild starvation.
 Fuel dilution can drop the viscosity of a motor oil
from say, a 15W40 to a 5W20. This collapses critical
oil film thicknesses, resulting in premature
combustion zone wear (piston, rings and liner) and
crankcase bearing wear.
 Fuel dilution from defective injectors commonly
causes wash-down of oil on cylinder liners which
accelerates ring, piston and cylinder wear. It also
causes high blow-by conditions and increased oil
consumption (reverse blow-by).
 Severe fuel dilution dilutes the concentration of oil
additives and hence, diluting their effectiveness.
 Fuel dilution by biodiesel may result in higher than
normal problems compared to diesel refined by crude
 stock. These problems include oxidation stability,
filter plugging issues, deposit formation and volatility
resulting in crankcase accumulations.
Soot
Soot is a by-product of combustion and exists in all in-service diesel engine motor oils. It
reaches the engine by various means of blow-by during engine operation. While the
presence of soot is normal and expected for a given number of miles or hours of service on
an engine oil, the concentration and state of soot may be abnormal, signaling a problem
with the engine and/or a need for an oil change. Following are some issues related to soot
contamination:

 Combustion efficiency is directly related to the soot generation rate. Poor ignition
timing, restricted air filter and excessive ring clearance cause high soot load.
Combustion problems are not solved by an oil change.
 New diesel engines designed for lower emissions have higher injection pressures.
This corresponds to increased sensitivity to abrasive wear (for example, from soot)
between rocker, shaft and rocker bearing and can lead to rocker arm seizure. New
exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) units on diesel engines amplify the amount and
abrasivity of soot production.
 Viscosity increases with soot load. However, high dispersancy associated with some
modern engine oils may increase viscosity with soot even more. High viscosity
corresponds to cold-start problems and risk of oil starvation.
 Soot and sludge in engines deposit or separate from the oil in the following areas, all
presenting risks to engine reliability including rocker boxes, valve covers, oil pans
and head deck.
 Deposits on engine surfaces interfere with combustion efficiency and fuel/oil
economy.
 Soot polishes off protective antiwear soap films in boundary zones such as cam and
cam-follower zones.
 Carbon jacking from the buildup of soot and sludge behind piston rings in grooves
can cause rapid wear of rings and cylinder walls. This can cause broken or severely
damaged rings during cold-start conditions.

Water
Water is one of the most destructive contaminants in
most all lubricants. It attacks additives, induces base oil
oxidation and interferes with oil film production. Low
levels of water contamination are normal in engine oils.
High levels of water ingression merit attention and are
rarely correctable by performing an oil change. The
following are some additional notes on water
contamination:

 Long idling in wintertime causes water condensation

in crankcase, which leads to loss of base number and
corrosive attack on surfaces, oxidation of the oil, etc.
 Emulsified water can mop up dead additives, soot,
oxidation products and sludge. When mobilized by
flowing oil, these globular pools of sludge can knock
out filters and restrict oil flow to bearings, pistons
and the valve deck.
 Water sharply increases the corrosive potential of
common acids found in motor oil.
Failure Development Period
The failure development period can vary considerably for these contaminants. Most sudden-
death failures from moderate levels of contamination will usually have one or more
aggravating factors (the combo effect). Conversely, massive concentrations of one or more
of these contaminants can result in sudden-death failures unaided by an aggravating
circumstance. There are dozens of other aggravating factors that can drastically shorten the
failure development period as well. More typical is when a moderate problem goes
unnoticed and develops over time. This can shorten engine life from say, 750,000 miles to
300,000 miles.

The cumulative effect of oil contamination on engine reliability, fuel economy, exhaust
stream emissions and maintenance cost of a large fleet is massive. There are no motor oil
additives that control the damage caused by these contaminants. Therefore, proactive
maintenance and oil analysis are critical strategies to counteract risks.

Machinery Lubrication (5/2007)

Low Oil Pressure is Not Necessarily Bad

A customer changes his brand of oil and then complains of low oil pressure. Is this perception or reality and is lo
bad? Why don't customers complain about high oil pressure?

In the following discussion we hope to demonstrate that:

 Low oil pressure is not necessarily bad....in fact it can be very beneficial within reasonable limits.
  High oil pressure is not necessarily good....in fact it can be a cause of great concern.

Back to the Basics

In the simplified schematic oil system below, oil is sucked through the pick up filter screen and up the pick up tu
pushes the oil through the filter and around the engine via galleries and oil delivery holes. A pressure sending un
located downstream of the filter.

Circulation of the oil is produced by a pump and not a compressor. The most important criterion for good lubri
oil pressure. The oil pressure will vary considerably around the engine, declining with distance downstream from
negative on the suction side of the pump.

What Causes Oil Pressure?

Oil pressure is caused by the resistance of the oil to flow (viscosity) under the pumping action of the oil pump. W
low viscosity oil, flow would be rapid and oil pressure low - a very desirable condition for minimizing wear. Con
pumping conditions; with narrow oil galleries (by design or by blockage) and high viscosity oil, the oil flow will
be high, hence resulting in less efficient lubrication.

A "good" oil will be one that has viscosity characteristics sufficient to give good hydrodynamic lubrication of the
around the engine well to provide a continuous supply of fresh lubricant.

In an extreme case, a very viscous oil would never get to the critical parts to do its lubrication job. Note in this ca
by-pass valves to prevent excessive oil pressure in case of filter blockage.
 Oil Pressure Gauge Interpretation

Cold Start

When and engine starts, all the oil is in the sump and the oil pressure is zero. The pump cannot begin to deliver o
until it has sucked up cold oil through the filter screen and the pick up tube. Hence, cold start lubrication is greatl
short, wide pick up tube and oil that has very good cold flow properties.

When the oil reaches the pump it is then forced through the filter and then through the engine. However, as the o
channels are very narrow, flow is slow and a large back pressure develops so that the pressure Gauge registers a

As the oil circulates and warms up, it flows faster and the oil pressure declines to a stable level. It is only at this p
being properly lubricated. Until stable oil pressure is obtained wear rates are high due to inadequate oil delivery t
Under cold start conditions, a "good" oil is one which gives stable oil pressure the fastest.

Normal Operation

Under ideal circumstances, oil pressure should be stable and any large increase or decrease should be investigat
damage.

Causes of Low Oil Pressure

Causes of Low Oil
Consequences Action
Pressure Reading
Top up oil level and investigate
Low oil level Possible catastrophic engine failure
possibility of an oil leak
Shut down the engine. Change to oil
Oil not flowing into with better low temperature
Possible catastrophic engine failure
the pump at start-up properties. Improve cold start-up
procedures
"Lugging". Pump runs
Downshift to increase rpm. Check the
too slow to deliver Reduces engine life
pump
sufficient oil
Check temperature Gauge and engine
Oil too hot, viscosity Oil breakdown/engine problems;
temperature controls. Check oil
too low. wear, deposits
viscosity for correct grade
Worn oil pump Engine problems Replace pump
Worn bearings Engine problems Oil flows through increased clearance
 more easily. Replace bearings
Fuel in oil reduces Higher oil consumption. Engine Avoid excessive idling. Check
viscosity wear. injectors. Change oil.
Old oil had an higher viscosity due
Oil change to soot load and oxidation. New oil None
flows better

Causes of High Oil Pressure

Causes of High Pressure Reading Consequence Action
Pressure remains high after cold start. Oil Possible Shut down engine. Use oil with
flows adequately into the pump, but does catastrophic better low temperature properties
not flow through the oil galleries failure (5W-30 or 0W-30)
Change oil and filter. Check
Potential engine
Oil is thickened by soot load injector performance. Avoid
failure
excessive idling.
Potential engine
Oil is thickened by oxidation Change oil and filter
failure
Consult owners manual/oil
Potential engine
Oil viscosity is too high. Oil flow is poor. supplier for correct viscosity
failure.
grade. Change oil.
Filter blocked. By-pass valve allows Reduces engine Change filter and oil. Investigate
unfiltered oil to circulate. life. cause of blockage.
Deposits in oil gallery system cause Reduces engine Change oil and filter. Use higher
increased back pressure. life. quality oil.
Check engine thermostat system.
Potential engine
Oil too cold. Check to ensure correct oil
failure.
viscosity.

SUMMARY
The customer/operator should be just as concerned with high oil pressure as with low oil
pressure. In fact any deviations, low or high, from "normal oil pressure" should be investigated.

Higher oil pressure means that more work has to be done to pump the oil around the engine and
this loss of efficiency should be minimized. High oil pressure does not equate to good oil flow
and in many cases it is an indication of the opposite.

Alteratively, lower oil pressure can mean that the oil is flowing rapidly around the engine which
is a very desirable condition for minimizing wear.